: Thanks for the update, Charles. There's one other factor that should be mentioned here (perhaps it was mentioned last night.) Sony, with the release of Playstation 2, has as its stated intention the goal of driving broadband distribution worldwide, literally forcing it (via consumer demand) into homes within the next two years. Microsoft is so terrified of this move that it, too, is announcing its entry into the console market with its competing X-Box (the formal announcement will be made Friday at the Game Developers Conference.)

: These machines aren't just gaming consoles: they're super fast, stripped-down, Internet-ready entertainment computers that connect to your TV and out-perform high end SGI workstations -- at a fraction of the price (possibly as low as $300!). Sony is actually selling them at a loss (relative to their development costs) in order to get them into the hands of consumers; the machines will be here by the end of the year, and if sales in Japan are any indication, they will own the market for a while.

: What does this mean for animators? Well, for one thing, the 3D market is going to explode, but it probably has enormous implications for the 2D market as well. Taken together with the things Charles noted, it means that the distribution pieces are definitely moving into place: if you've always felt you could do it better than the guy you're working for, the time to start producing it is now.

C always said that there's two "D's" before 3D, so traditional illustrators will always be needed...this is more good news for the movement, thanks Bruce.